The subject matter described and/or illustrated herein relates generally to electrical cables, and more particularly, to attachment rings for attaching a shield of an electrical cable to a backshell.
Many electrical cables include an electrically conductive shield that extends around one or more insulated electrical conductors of the cable. The shield blocks electrical interference between the electrical conductors of the cable and the electrical conductors of neighboring cables and/or other neighboring electrical devices. An end of an electrical cable is sometimes terminated to an electrical connector to facilitate electrical connection of the electrical cable to another electrical cable or another electrical device. When terminated to an electrical connector, the shield of an electrical cable may be attached to a backshell that is connected to the electrical connector. The backshell may be used, for example, to protect, electrically shield, and/or provide strain relief to the connection points between the electrical conductors of the electrical cable and the corresponding electrical contacts of the electrical connector.
One method of attaching the shield of an electrical cable to a backshell includes receiving an end of the shield over a fitting of the backshell. An attachment ring fabricated from a shape memory material that is heat recoverable is sometimes used to hold the end of the shield on the fitting. Specifically, the attachment ring is positioned to extend around the circumference of the shield end. Heat is then applied externally by a heat source or generated by the application of current to the attachment ring. The heat applied to the attachment ring recovers, e.g., shrinks, the attachment ring into engagement with the end of the shield. The engagement between the end of the shield and the attachment ring holds the end of the shield on the fitting between the attachment ring and the fitting.
At least some known attachment rings are one-piece continuous rings. Accordingly, the attachment ring is typically positioned over the end of the shield before the end of the shield is received over the fitting of the backshell. In other words, the end of the shield and the insulated electrical conductors of the electrical cable are fed through the attachment ring before the end of the shield is received over the fitting. But, positioning the attachment ring over the end of the shield before the shield is received over the fitting may be time consuming and/or difficult, which may increase a cost of terminating the electrical cable to the electrical connector and/or may decrease the number of electrical cables that can be terminated to electrical connectors within a given time period. For example, it may be difficult to hold the attachment ring in position over the end of the shield as the end of the shield is received over the fitting. Rather, the attachment ring may move along the length of the electrical cable in a direction away from the end that is being terminated to the electrical connector and toward the other end of the electrical cable. Once the end of the shield is received over the fitting of the backshell, it may be time consuming and/or frustrating for a person to locate the attachment ring along the length of the cable and position the attachment ring back over the end of the shield.
Moreover, the only way to position a one-piece continuous attachment ring over the end of the shield after the end of the shield is received over the fitting is to position the attachment ring over the other end of the cable. The attachment ring must then be moved along the entire length of the electrical cable to the end that is being terminated to the electrical connector, which may also be time consuming and/or difficult. Positioning the attachment ring over the other end of the cable and moving the attachment ring along the entire length of the cable may also require that the other end of the cable is not terminated and/or mechanically connected to an electrical connector or other electrical device.
Another disadvantage of at least some known attachment rings is removal of the attachment rings from the shield. An attachment ring may be removed from a shield during disassembly of the end of the electrical cable from the electrical connector to enable the shield to be removed from the fitting of the backshell. Another reason for removing an attachment ring is if the actual diameter of the circumference of the shield is greater than the estimated diameter for which the size of the attachment ring was selected, for example because additional components were added between the fitting and the shield and/or because of a greater than expected dimensional variance of the shield. Known methods for removing a one-piece continuous attachment ring from a shield include cutting the attachment ring. However, due to the relatively strong shape memory materials that are used to fabricate at least some known attachment rings, cutting the attachment ring may be difficult, time consuming, and/or require special tooling (e.g., an electrical power tool and/or the like). Moreover, cutting the attachment ring may damage the fitting of the backshell, the electrical cable, and/or the shield in the proximity of the cutting operation, which may result in a costly repair.